


Portals, Marriages and The Emotions of It All

by kaianieves



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, Fairy Realm, Heartbreak, I actually did a writer thing that I didn't intend on doing but am very proud I did, Universe Travel, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 03:30:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17820998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaianieves/pseuds/kaianieves
Summary: For Supernatural Femslash February. Yes, they are out of order. I've been busy the last few days and got behind. Day thirteen: Longing.





	Portals, Marriages and The Emotions of It All

Charlie felt her heart break in two when Gilda told her. "I've been promised to someone else," she said. Charlie blinked, letting out a breathy laugh as the words settled. She'd come here with Gilda to be with her. And now Gilda was going to be with someone else. Forever.

"What-what do you mean?" Charlie asked. 

"My family. They were in need of a farming alliance. Our neighbours have healthy crops and a son of marrying age. They need me to marry him to consolidate it." Gilda bowed her head at Charlie's look of betrayal. Gilda took her hand, trying to comfort her. "I know this is not what we planned- what I promised. But I don't have a choice in this myself."

Tears welled in Charlie's eyes. She tried blinking them away, only making them fall to her cheeks. Gilda frowned. "It's okay," Charlie said. She tried to sound positive. It only made her voice break. "Things have complications. We'll... we'll figure it out."

Gilda squeezed Charlie's hand again. A voice outside called for her, and she got up from the tent floor. Gilda pushed aside the blanket covering the tent's opening, glancing back at Charlie before stepping outside. As soon as the blanket fell, covering the opening in the tent again, a sob ripped through Charlie's chest. She'd come to the fairy realm for Gilda, and the promises of a magical adventure with her. Now she was here, forced to watch the woman she loved marry someone else.

Days later, after the community was abuzz with talk of the local wedding, Charlie finally saw Gilda again. She looked different; her hair was shorter, and she had symbols drawn on her face and arms in a golden, glowing ink. "Hi," Gilda said.

"Hi." Charlie couldn't help her small smile. She wasn't able to stop thinking about Gilda ever since she'd last seen her. "Nice ink."

"Thank you. It's apart of the marriage ritual," Gilda said. "It's to bond our souls together." Just as the words came out of her mouth, a tall man came up behind her. He wrapped his arm around Gilda's waist. On his arm and face were the same golden markings.

"Bromly," the male fairy introduced himself. "It is very interesting to meet a human."

Charlie forced her smile now. "It's very interesting to meet you too."

"I think it's time to start the wedding preparation," Bromly said, looking to Gilda. She smiled up at him, planting a kiss on his lips. Bromly walked away, and Gilda looked back at Charlie.'

"I'm very happy for you," Charlie said.

Gilda gave her a look of disbelief. "I can sense your sadness, Charlie." She reached for Charlie's hands again. "I truly am sorry."

"Don't be." Charlie pulled her hands away from Gilda's. "It's-it's what you need to do, and there's no stopping it from happening or changing it, so-" Charlie paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll get over it." But Gilda's look of concern didn't leave. _"Seriously,"_ Charlie insisted. "Now, go get yourself married."

Gilda's face finally relaxed. She followed after Bromly, going to prepare for the wedding.

Hollow Forest's weddings ceremonies were extensive, Charlie soon learned. But they were especially beautiful. Gilda's mother had given Charlie special robes for the ceremony; a long violet dress with blackened leaf embellishments. Everyone else looked equally as beautiful. Bromly was shirtless wearing long, billowy skirts. At least she could say the beings of Arkhmoor didn't resign to gender stereotypes.

The true beauty of the ceremony, of course, was the bride. Two younger fairies walked down the silken carpet with oversized, glossy blue flower buds before Gilda made her entrance. She walked down the carpet slowly, wearing a long black dress. White-yellow bobble berries were glowing all along her skirt. A short fairy in the corner started plucking at a harp made of tree bark and tightly wound spider webs.

Gilda gave a small wave at Charlie as she passed her down the aisle. Then she fixed her eyes on the groom, smiling wide. Gilda stepped to the side, standing across from Bromly. A short elder fairy stood between them, holding an old leather-bound book in her arms. She spoke a language not familiar to Charlie, but the other fairies around her seemed to understand what was being said. Charlie assumed it was similar to the words spoken during human marriage ceremonies.

Thinking about the what the elder was saying was an attempt at distraction from what was truly happening. Charlie knew it was happening, that Gilda would be married to someone else in moments. But if she paid all of her attention on the elder and the book, maybe it would soften the blow. Maybe she could forget.

She was distracted by the glowing marks on Gilda's beautiful face when the elder finished what she was saying, looking up to watch them light up. Charlie caught the exact moment Gilda and Bromly kissed. It felt like there was a fist around her heart, squeezing harder the longer the kiss went on. When they broke apart, and Gilda looked up at Bromly with a look of adoration that Charlie had only seen given to her, her heart burst in the fist. Silent tears fell that she quickly wiped away.

Everyone stood up when the bride and groom turned to them, smiling and holding their hands together in the air. They were clapping, crying tears of joy. Charlie took it as an opportunity to sneak out of the nuptials,  quickly making her way to Hollow Forest's marketplace. She looked for a sign, small and covered in dust, hanging from a small hut on the edge of the marketplace area. The door to the hut was open ajar. Charlie pulled it open, stepping inside.

At a short table covered in various tinted bottles was a dwarf. He was snoring quietly, the midday light not rousing him. Charlie reached out, shaking his shoulder. He snorted, looking up in shock. When he realized he had a customer, he sat up straight.

"Human. Gilda's friend. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"You do magic, right?"

"Yes, indeed. All the spells you would ever need. Telekinesis, energy potions,  _love potions,_ all the sort."

"I need you to make a portal to Earth," Charlie said.

The dwarf looked a little surprised, maybe even second hand hurt in his eyes. Whatever he was thinking, he didn't say aloud. He simply swallowed, nodding. "Alright then," he said. "But there is a price."

He needed something personal, that held great emotional energy. It would be just enough to power the portal for thirty Earth seconds; just enough time for Charlie to travel through and get to where she wanted to. Charlie searched through her tent, finding nothing. Everything was simply a necessity; clothing, food scraps, bottles of insignificant potions. She thought hard about something that she would have to power the portal. Finally, something came to mind. A necklace she'd gotten at a flea market on Earth. Charlie had had it on her when she'd arrived in Arkhmoor, and eventually given it to Gilda. Which meant she'd have to steal it back.

Everyone was still busy celebrating at the wedding. Charlie had a clear opportunity. She sneaked into Gilda's tent, glancing behind her to make sure she wasn't spotted. The obvious place to look would be the tall vanity. Pulling open all of the drawers, Charlie came up with nothing. Then something occurred to her. If the necklace was charged with emotional energy, Gilda would be able to feel it. If it was positive, which Charlie hoped it was, then she'd want to keep it close to her.

Charlie kneeled in front of Gilda's bed, searching under her pillow. She felt something thin and wiry, grabbing it. There it was; her necklace, emotionally charged and ready for one trip back to Earth. Charlie stood up, a bit of confidence in her step as she made her way out of the tent. The victory almost had her forget about Gilda and her wedding. Almost.

On the path back to the dwarf selling magic, Charlie ran into exactly who she didn't want to see; Bromly. "Where were you?" he asked. "Gilda requested you for a toast of Pearl Rum." Complicated feelings aside, for once Charlie was glad she'd missed out on an activity with Gilda. Pearl Rum, which was just river water mixed with ground pearl dust, tasted like distilled cat pee. It was never a pleasant thing for her to drink.

"I was just in the little girl's room," Charlie said. "I'll be right back to celebrate in a moment." Bromly seemed satisfied with her answer, smiling and walking back to the wedding party.

Charlie continued back to the dwarf in the marketplace, setting down the necklace in front of him. "Will that work?" she asked.

"Oh, definitely. There is a lot of energy in this one." The dwarf sniffed the necklace, and Charlie grimaced. "Love," he stated, "With a hint of fresh pain." The dwarf eyed Charlie for a moment. "Interesting..."

He dropped the necklace into a bowl, and started to whisper words in yet another language that Charlie didn't recognize. She didn't need to, though, as the purple wispy glow dancing around the dwarf's fingers told her the magic was working. The necklace melted into a gold soup in the bowl. The dwarf reached around the table, grabbing various glass bottles and pouring their contents into the bowl along with the melted necklace. When he was finally finished, the liquid was thicker and an unnatural orange colour.

The dwarf handed Charlie the bowl. "Here," he said. "You'll need to smear this on a door somewhere, and think about the place you'd like to go. Open the door, step through it, and you're there." He made it sound so simple, Charlie almost laughed. "Now, about payment." The dwarf glanced at her expensive looking dress.

Now in commoners clothes three sizes too small, Charlie made her way out of the marketplace to the village houses. The only place she knew that had a solid door was the outhouse; it was disgusting, but it would have to do. Just as she started painting the door, Charlie heard a voice call her name. Turning around, she saw an approaching Gilda. She'd made yet another costume change, now wearing a sheer top and loose fitting silk pants.

"Charlie! What are you doing?" Gilda asked.

Charlie turned around, sighing. She wasn't getting out of this like she wanted, was she?

"I'm going home."

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, I can't stay here in Hollow Forest anymore. I can't stay in Arkhmoor anymore," Charlie said. Her voice was wavering.

"Well then take me with you," Gilda said. Charlie's eyes were wet as she shook her head no.

"You have to stay here, with Bromly," Charlie said, nodding towards the village. "And I- well, I have to go home. I don't belong here. I'm a human in a fairy world that I barely understand half the time. I came here for you, Gilda, and now that's not ever going to happen-"

"Are you saying this isn't enough for you?" Gilda asked, motioning around them. She almost sounded offended.

"I'm saying I can't sit here and watch as you live a life with someone else. Maybe that's selfish of me, but I can't- I can't live with this knowing that it's forever. My heart can't take it."

Gilda didn't reach for Charlie's hands this time. She backed up a few feet, tears in her eyes now too. "Alright then," she said. Her voice was small and watery.

Slowly, Charlie turned back around to the outhouse. She finished the oval shape on the door, closing her eyes and focusing on Earth. What the wind felt like, the dirt beneath her feet. The love and joy the people there brought her. The love and joy that would hopefully, eventually defeat all the pain and sadness she'd be bringing from Arkhmoor. When Charlie opened her eyes again, there stood a swirling orange portal. She had thirty seconds to make her move.

Charlie turned around again, facing Gilda. She approached, holding Gilda to her. In her ear, Charlie whispered, "I love you. I think I always will." The two shared one last too short kiss before Charlie pulled away. Tears in her eyes, she faced the portal and walked through it, not turning around to see Gilda's tears as they streamed down her face. Moments later, the orange light and Gilda's former lover disappeared. Gilda fell to her knees in the dirt in front of the outhouse, tears flowing freely now.

Charlie was gone. Gilda was here, married to a man she could only hope she'd grow to love. The fairy tale was over. It was time to get back to the real world now. For the both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> For Supernatural Femslash February. Yes, they are out of order. I've been busy the last few days and got behind. Day thirteen: Longing.


End file.
